Untitled
by Chronically Lazy
Summary: Life is at best a spiral, never a pendulum; what was been done cannot be undone" Zuko learns that the hard way.


**Well, I really don't know what the title should be. **

_At best, life is a spiral and never a pendulum. What has been done cannot be undone.  
_

* * *

He stared at the woman she had become; even he would not have guessed she would have grown into such a beautiful woman. When they were younger, right before the avatar battled his father, fire lord Ozai, they had been left alone one afternoon and he had discovered that what he felt for the earth-bender went past 'sibling' affection. He told her to wait, and that he would wait too because they were just too young and their age difference too obvious. 12 and 16, what was he a paedophile? Then after the battle he got scared, he doubted he was thinking straight and so he left with Mai. Three years later, he broke up with Mai; it could never work between them – for starters, he did not love her. Everyone would have agreed that the sensible thing to do would have been to run to Toph and plead for forgiveness but he could not; he still felt she was too young and it would just make things awkward, just a bit longer.

Now two years down the line she was getting married. He had freaked out when he heard. He was so stupid; he had made bonehead decisions and waited too long, he had asked her to wait, then left with another girl, and somehow expected her to still be waiting.

This was his last chance; there had to be something, some spark of what they had had that afternoon five years ago. There just _had_ to be something.

They sat under one of the larger trees in her garden; although she was marrying a water-bender, it had been agreed that the wedding be held in the earth kingdom so she would be able to 'see'. It was a miracle she did not hate him after what he had done.

"Do you love him?" Zuko asked.

"What? What kind of stupid question is that?" Zuko felt his heart flip; she was avoiding the question meaning she was not sure.

"You don't love him do you; you're marrying him for your father's sake."

"It's sad how much faith you and the others have in me; do you honestly think I'd _marry_ someone just because my father wanted me to?" she laughed, it baffled Zuko how he had just abandoned someone so amazing. "Sure marrying Shen would help my father's business and on the surface it looks more like a merger than a marriage but I had a say in it; my father actually wanted me to marry someone else."

A small smile played on her fine feature, "But I chose Shen, I know I may sound silly and not like me but I really -" He could not bear to hear it; he stopped her words by cutting in,

"I love you. I still love you Toph. I miss you."

"Zuko this is not funny."

"I'm serious Toph! Why would I joke about something like this? Toph I know you don't love him, you love me!"

"Enough!" she yelled as sprang to her feet to run away but he grabbed her arm, spun her round and pressed his lips to her; if she would not believe him he would show her. Maybe if he kissed her, she would see the truth – they were meant to be.

She pushed him away violently, "Zuko I am getting married tomorrow; this is not the time for you to be messing with my head!"

"See, you're not sure – Toph, you know as much as I do that you don't belong with him… you belong with me."

"Sorry Zuko, I can't – I won't."

"No, no, no!"

"Listen! I may have loved you once and perhaps there is the slim chance that I still feel something for you – I won't lie." Her jade eyes were beginning to shine with unshed tears, "However, I also love Shen, maybe not as much as I loved you before but you have shown me who you really are – although I'm sure you wish you hadn't, and Shen has shown me who he really is, and to be honest; I prefer my water-bender."

Zuko watched in dejected silence as she ran away, but then again what did he expect? For her to jump into his arms and they would ride off to the fire nation together?

………………………………

When she returned to Shen's side he had noticed she was off, the rest of the night she seemed slightly unfocused and depressed. Many times, he had asked her what was wrong but she forced a smile and replied that it was nothing.

Of course, he knew it was not 'nothing' he had witnessed that little exchange between her and the fire lord. She had lied; she did not love him, Shen, anywhere near the amount she had loved… she loved, Zuko, the fire lord.

That night, before she left to her room he pulled her into a tight embrace and whispered that it was ok; she could go to the fire lord – in fact, he ordered her to. He had fallen in love with the assertive albeit rude earth-bender who did not let anyone stand in her way and this was not her, giving up so easily. When he let her go tears were running down her pale cheeks, she smiled broadly and hugged him once more before hiking up her dress and running out of the room and towards the tree she had left the fire lord under.

Luckilly Zuko was still sulking under the same tree. He was surprised to find her running towards him, he was so surprised that when she hugged him the toppled over, "I forgive you Zuko and I know you'll die without me. Good news is you can keep breathing because I'm not leaving you but if you _ever_ hurt me again I'll send you straight to the centre of the earth… gottit?"

"Like I'd ever dream of letting you go." He pushed himself upwards and kissed her, this time, she kissed him back.

…………………

Zuko woke up with a warm feeling, something akin happiness spreading across his chest, but that feeling quickly dissipated as reality began to set in. He sat up and placed his hands in his face as he tried to hold back what he feared were tears. Today he was going to watch the love of his life marry someone else.

* * *

**A/N: Tch, what did you think, it'd end happily? ;P**

***reviews feed me; don't let me starve.**

**Thanks Blz1990 for the constructive criticism. :) **


End file.
